Australian Special Forces flying Nazi flag while on patrol in Afghanistan

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull condemned the actions of Australian Special Forces troops who were photographed in 2007 during patrols in Afghanistan against the backdrop of the Nazi Flag, the Associated Press reports June 14.

This incident which involved Australian military is completely unacceptable and its perpetrators have been disciplined, added Turnbull.

The Department of Defense of Australia said that a Nazi flag was briefly hoisted on their patrol vehicle. The commander of the unit immediately took action, ordering removal of the Nazi flag.

Vice admiral Ray Griggs, the Defense Department spokesman, said that the Nazi flag was destroyed when the patrol returned to the base, stressing that appropriate measures had been taken against the perpetrators.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) previously published a photo of the Land Rover patrol car with a waving red flag with a black swastika inside the white circle. The photograph was taken in Afghanistan in 2007.Australia had the third largest amount of special forces troops sent to Afghanistan, with only Great Britain and the USA sending more. In 2013, the Australian government withdrew its special forces from Afghanistan. Since 2002, Australia lost 41 soldier in Afghanistan.